


Top Shelf

by Tricochet



Series: FlashVibe Week 2018 [4]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, FlashVibe Week, FlashVibe Week 2018, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 12:45:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15630954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tricochet/pseuds/Tricochet
Summary: Cisco makes a grocery store run for his favorite cereal, but he can't quite reach the top shelf.





	Top Shelf

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a Tumblr prompt from promptsfordays, number 2 on the list of height difference prompts here http://promptsfordays.tumblr.com/post/116244449490/height-difference-aus
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading!

Cisco jumps, lunging for the top shelf. He misses the cereal box he’s aiming for and lands on the ground. 

“I could reach that for you,” someone says from behind him.

“No, I’m good,” Cisco says. His teeth are gritted as he jumps again. This time, his finger touches the box before he falls. 

“If you’re sure,” the person says. Cisco hears footsteps as he starts to walk away. 

On his third jump, Cisco’s fingers close around something. He realizes too late that he’s holding the edge of the shelf. It overbalances. Boxes of cereal rain down around Cisco as he hits the ground. 

“Oh my god! Are you okay?” the same voice from before is asking. Cisco reaches one of his hands through the boxes and flashes a thumbs-up. He feels a lot like the image on his shirt of Captain Kirk buried in a pile of tribbles. The stranger starts clearing boxes to the sides. He reaches his hands down to Cisco and pulls him up.

Cisco blinks and gets his first view of the guy. He’s wearing a grocery store uniform with a nametag. He’s also adorable.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks, Barry. I’m sorry for the whole-” Cisco waves his hand at the mess of cereal. 

“I did offer to help you, you know.”

“I know. Can I help clean it up?”

“Yeah. Hold on,” Barry says. He grabs a stepladder. Cisco climbs the first ring and starts replacing handfuls of boxes. He and Barry have them all cleaned up in a few minutes.

“There we go,” Barry says, moving the ladder away. 

“Wait!” Cisco says. “Uh, I didn’t get my cereal.”

Barry runs back and hands Cisco the box. He smiles widely. 

“Good choice on breakfast, by the way. This stuff is good.”

“Yeah, it’s worth getting crushed for.”

“I’ll find a discount to give you. You know, since you had a shelf fall on you and all.”

“It was my fault,” Cisco says. Barry waves his hand. 

“Don’t worry about it.”

 

 

The next time Cisco goes to get groceries, it’s three in the morning and he’s tired and angry. He stares up at the shelf and glares.

“Let’s not have a repeat of last time,” Barry says from behind him. He sets the stepladder down, except this time it’s decorated with Star Trek stickers.

Cisco puts his foot on a tribble and reaches for the last box.

“We are getting a new shipment in tomorrow,” Barry says. “You don’t have to worry about us running out.”

“Why the stickers?”

Barry shrugs. “I saw your shirt last time you were here. Figured you liked Star Trek.”

“So you went and you covered the stepladder with stickers?”

“Absolutely. I’ve been waiting for so long for somebody to use it,” Barry says happily. He takes a look at Cisco's Bulbasaur shirt. "Next time, I’m going to get Pokemon stickers to fill the rest of the space.”

“You’re going to go through a lot of stickers. I have so many graphic tees.”

“I can get another stepladder,” Barry says. 

Cisco rolls his eyes. He already feels a lot better. 

“Do you work the late shift a lot?”

“Not really. I’m just covering for one of my coworkers. I’m off in about ten minutes.”

“Oh,” Cisco says quietly. “Do you maybe want to split the cereal box with me?”

Barry tilts his head. “As long as you’re not one of those weirdos who eats cereal with, like, orange juice or whatever.”

Cisco shudders. “Ew. That’s nasty.”

“Which one of us is going to get the little prize in the bottom?”

“You can have it. I’ve already collected all six prizes.”

Barry looks impressed. “Well, it’d be a shame for the ring to go to waste.”


End file.
